Shannon: “A lot more support internally for Jim than people believe”

Amidst rumours that the Canucks organization is on the brink of making a front office personnel change, John Shannon on Sportsnet 650 denies it all and says that they support Benning more than people think.

"There is a lot of support internally for Jim Benning."@JSportsnet says the rumors the #Canucks are not happy with GM Jim Benning are hogwash.

Even though some believe that his days are severely numbered and may not have even survived this offseason, Shannon decided to come out and show that those thoughts are all wrong.

Although it is extremely likely that if the Canucks don’t get to the right start next season or fail to make the playoffs for the fifth consecutive season, the likelihood of a firing should increase.

Shannon continues through his radio hit to say that there are “concerns on the business side”, when it comes to Benning’s tenure with the franchise. Not putting a competitive team out on the ice and falling short of the playoffs can do that.

The young stars can bring in some attention and possibly more ticket sales, what the upper management probably wants, but they’re still losing in a historic fashion.

Around the NHL, front offices are changing. Ken Holland to the Oilers, Steve Yzerman to the Red Wings — would it be timely for the Canucks to do the same?

With the NHL Entry Draft and free agency rapidly approaching, if what Shannon said is completely true, it appears that Benning is here to stay, but just for now.

33 Comments |

Mixed messages seem to be a huge part of the problem with the Canucks.

Watching a fantastic playoffs it sticks in my craw that Benning wasn’t willing to in his own words “mortgage the future just to make the playoffs”, yet Carolina *just* squeaked in and are in the last four while the Sharks also gave up futures to make another run and are also still in. Not impressed. Just need to get in and anything can happen. Ask Tampa Bay.

If JB would have “mortgaged the future just to make the playoffs”, he would be gone by now. His patience with doing this job the right way (building through the draft) is why he is still employed. Selling youth and draft picks to eeke into the playoffs would have been a disaster.

I see you missed the point entirely… other teams took a gamble, got in did well… and some are still contending for the SC.

In fact, your premise of the Canucks just ‘eeking into the playoffs’ is way off base. Vancouver did exceptionally well against most of the top teams in the league all season long and I believe Vancouver woulda been a real handful in this years playoffs.

I personally hate watching playoff hockey without my team in it, that’s what it’s all about. The future is now. Shoulda gone for the playoffs as Benning said he was here for every year. There’s those mixed messages again.

Buddy i love your enthusiasm but the canucks were miles away from being the hurricanes. They are a bad team, even when healthy. they capitalized on a lot of backup goalies and loser points. It is the truth of their situation. This mess won’t be sorted out with positive thinking, rah-rah or fan support… it is systemic, entrenched and long from finished.

That said… I share your frustration and spend many many 4am mornings watching and hoping for the signs the team is over the hump.

“Vancouver did exceptionally well against most of the top teams in the league all season long ”
Please clarify your definition of exceptional, as it seems to differ than what most think. Against the playoff teams, the Canucks won 18 out of 44 games. Against teams with 100 or more points the won 9 of 23 games.

“I personally hate watching playoff hockey without my team in it, that’s what it’s all about. The future is now.”
The future is not now with this team…yet. Too many injuries, not enough depth and lack of overall talent. Carolina, Columbus, and Colorado have been drafting and developing for more years than the Canucks to get to where they are at today with good young cores. The future is still at least 2 years away before any big TDL splashes or big FA signings should be made.

No. Columbus did not mortgage the farm. They brought in a couple of depth players at the cost of a second rounder and change. Losing Panarin will hurt but they can recoup him with one player. Free agent orvdraft pick. Goalie Bob was good but he played behind a good defense. Not so hard to replace.

I think you need to check your transactions history. Columbus added Adam McQuaid, Keith Kincaid, Ryan Dzingel, and Matt Duchene, at the cost of Vitali Abramov, Jonathan Davidsson, Anthony Duclair, Julius Bergman, 2 x 1st rounders, 2 x 2nd rounders, a 4th, 5th, and 7th. This in addition to having every one of those players they acquired potentially as rentals since they are UFAs in addition to their two top players in Panarin and Bobrovsky who are also UFAs. They have some good young players in Jones, Boone, Jenner, Weinberg and Bjorkstrand, but almost no one in the prospect pipeline. And they have 2 picks in this year’s draft, with the highest being a 4th rounder. It’s kind of the definition of mortgaging the future.

To mortgage the future and then make the playoffs for a push for the cup you first need to have something to trade or a few pieces to trade to get something back. Even if it were trading draft picks Canucks still may not have made it into the playoffs. Benning was right to have stayed the course.

Have to say I am surprised you are still showing up here man – the way you threw Jason Botchford under the bus and trashed the guy relentlessly is a disgrace. The fact you said nothing upon his passing even more so… and now you are back to business as usual. Why?

Wait one minute, I thought the “douchebaggery” line, when referring to Botchford’s schtick, was mine.

Botchford’s skill was the fact he realized that in order to gain a larger audience, he had to dumb it down. Pro-wrestling style; tell them who are white-hats and who are black-hats ; short sentences, little thought required. When in doubt, put up a tweet from the masses, ….. something for the larger audience to “aspire” to. Much the same tact as taken by FoxNews personalities and alike.

The reality is Botchford could write, and tell a story — the Atheleties were not such examples –they were pure schtick and I rarely read them.

Ironically, I thought his best piece (by a mile) was the last piece he wrote for the Athletic (on Ian Clarke and Jakob Markstrom — well worth the read).

By accounts, Botchford was a nice guy, loving family-man, good friend, and especially generous with his time for aspiring bloggers and writers in the hockey sphere. When it comes down to it; I am pretty sure these are the important aspect of one’s character.

As far as commenters some how equating Botchford’s untimely death with distain for his schtick — you are simpletons, and what the other word? Oh ya, douchebags.

Not liking or even loathing the way somebody writes sports columns has no connection to wishing an untimely death for the writer.
Pursuing a personal CA conflict in this manner does nothing positive for the deceased ,his family or loved ones in mourning.

What I know is the multi name troll is back after a couple of weeks off. In Disneyland with your parents?
You have just shown how much of a true low life you are. Using a guy who died way too young to try and massage your fragile ego. You are a disgrace of a human being. Ya ya, I know, I am saying EXACTLY what a troll wants to hear – but it needs to be said.
DJ44 explains it well, Botchford filled a niche. Me and thousands of others who didn’t appreciate his “style” called it out and that was one of the reasons he was like that. Just like when CA doesnt do anything about trolls when other Nation sites do. It is about getting and keeping an audience. Too much for a lowlife troll to understand the nuances and from what I have heard, he would have been the first to agree that he was controversial, pushy, rude and moreover he was consistent. That was his persona. That was his role and he played it well.
You are a sh!t stain of a person for bringing him up in this way when so many of his family, friends and supporters are still grieving. His early death was not about you, douchebag.

The idea that Jim Benning’s job is in jeopardy THIS off season is a complete fan (some of them) and local media fabrication. I say that not as a big fan of GMJB’s but simply as a reflection of reality. Do I think Jim Benning is the GM that can lead the Canucks franchise to the Stanley Cup? No. Do I think the hockey side of Canucks front office is far too thin and lacking in experience, sophistication, diversity and talent? Yes. Do I think Aquaman is ready to open his wallet to address these deficiencies? Not yet. Do I think that when Aquaman DOES open his wallet to fix these deficiencies that HE is smart enough to do the job properly? Well……

Yeah the premise Benning might lose his job before next season is pure fantasy. Aquillini clearly committed to 2 more years when he resigned him to his extension last year. Nothing that has happened since then should have changed FA’s mind (or anyone else’s) since. You either thought he’d done enough to warrant 2 more years to complete his vision or you thought he was a visionless rube who shoulda been fired the moment he traded for Gudbranson.
Since the team actually did as well or better than projected and Pettersson, Horvat & Hughes all took nice steps in their development, the only negative of this last season was the Utica situation and I don’t really think that’s a firing offence.
The bloggers and haters can bring this topic back up after July 1 once we see how Jim spends our cap money but serious discussion of Benning’s impending doom can be shelved until at least Christmas.

I enjoyed your comment about how Benning spends “our” cap money and your reference to “haters”.
Most locals would like to be Canucks fans but after fifty plus years of failure, add on the latest ownership group who cannot seem to find anyone qualified who is willing to work for them, then you understand that haters are really just experienced canucks fans who don’t always drink the cool aid.

I’m not sure what you’re trying to read into my comment but ‘haters’ just mean those that hate Benning. I haven’t said they’re wrong or nor without merit, just that they exist, hate Benning and will have to put up with him for at least a while longer.
Haters are also part of ‘us’, we are all Canuck fans and it’s okay to have different opinions about the same subject. Just like, I’m quite capable of my own thoughts on Benning without any Koolaid. I hold no love for Benning, if he was fired tomorrow, I wouldn’t be upset, at all. I also won’t whine every article his names mentioned until he’s fired.

The lack of playoff revenue is entirely on the Aquillinis insistence on riding the franchise into the ground on the backs of the Sedins. When that failed, they still tried to hedge their gets by foregoing a rebuild for a “reload”. It’s all about the nucks with this ownership group. Same reason the canucks head office is the leanest in the NHL. If you remember the Aquillinis built their business as slum lords by squeezing every penny out of rental accommodations while failing to maintain them, you begin to understand their business model.

Let’s put it like this I don’t think on a possible falling real estate market JB should be buying property. When he goes is speculative but if he goes is certain. But before any of that happens please promote Brackett to Asst GM with a healthy salary but still in charge of scouting. The next on the firing line IMO is the Pro Scouting Dept. These are two items JB has to attend to. They may be a part of him solidifying his own job

Fred,Brackett was promoted by Benning to his head of amateur scouting position in 2016.
Judd is an amateur scout and has been with the Canucks organisation since 2008.He’s not a pro scout and has no experience in that role.
Nobody has been promoted from head of amateur scouting to Asst. GM in the NHL that I am aware of.
A couple of articles are available on the web where Brackett talks about his position within the Canucks scouting hierarchy and how the Canucks organisation under Benning collabaratively scouts and drafts.
When fans think of the Canucks success at the draft table over the last two drafts,specifically,it is a testament to the emphasis Benning has placed on the entire draft team and the process in which they all contribute.

I just hope Benning doesn’t make a desperate trade in a bid to save his job. The rebuild has gone slow, but they are on the right track, and I think within a couple of drafts they will have the makings of a playoff team.

JB is doing a decent if imperfect job. It definitely wouldn’t hurt if he had a few young upstart progressives to soundboard with. I think we could be worse off. We shall see. Just saw Ralph Krueger was hired as Buffalo’s new head coach. He was my fantasy pick for next Canucks GM. Oh well.

When Jim Benning took over the club, the prospect pool was bone dry. He had aging vets at every position. Sure it has been five years and most don’t see a cup next year, but the future sure looks brighter. Solid in the net position for 10 years is something that can win cups. The Canucks just need two or three players inserted into the line-up and everything changes. Wins start to pile up. The two or three players don’t have to be free agents as I’d like to see our prospects get a chance. No more Tim’s.

Where these rumours of Benning “about to lose his job” come from are absurd. JB is far from perfect but questionable moves show up less and less. Do you like Petey, Brock and QH? I wouldn’t band aid anything temporarily with obscenely large FA signings at this point, something I don’t think GMJB will do this summer. I do like Karlsson but would he come here? Keep costs down because Seattle is coming soon and there are fine young dudes to sign in the not too distant future. I’ve seen it all with this franchise and right now there is a lot of promise in lieu of the fact they haven’t been good for a long time. IMO that will change soon IF everyone steps up.

Imagine adding a couple more players like Petey, Brock, and QH wow what a power play that would be. If you enjoy watching them play 3 on 3 how exciting would it be to add two more just like them and taking away another man off the other team.

For years this city was drunk on the spoils of a real estate bubble…those days are over. Nobody spending stupid money on tix anymore. The only way back to the glory days is a long slow rebuild through the draft. Still need a couple more difference makers in the lineup. Hopefully one of those is from this years draft, and maybe OJ. Gaudette could have a breakout season…same with Quinner.